Top 5 High Performance American Vehicles Hastings NE

Cars like the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and Dodge Viper ACR SRT10 have made their mark on the infamous Nürburgring, beating out the likes of Porsche, BMW and Mercedes, while the Cadillac CTS-V proves that high-performance luxury isn’t just for imports anymore.

Top 5 High Performance American Vehicles

America Can Get Its Act Together: Top 5 High Performance American Vehicles By Zach Bowman, DriverSide Contributing Editor

We’ve already shown you that there are more than a few great domestic vehicles out there for under $30,000, but what about above that magic mark? For those with a little more disposable income and less of an eye toward fuel economy, the U.S. is producing plenty of vehicles that beat their German and Japanese counterparts at their own game. Cars like the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and Dodge Viper ACR SRT10 have made their mark on the infamous Nürburgring, beating out the likes of Porsche, BMW and Mercedes, while the Cadillac CTS-V proves that high-performance luxury isn’t just for imports anymore.

2009 Corvette ZR-1

Dodge Viper ACR SRT10 1. 2009 Corvette ZR1If you’ve never heard of the Nürburgring, here’s a quick history lesson for you. The ‘Ring, as it’s affectionately called, is a near-13 mile track that ducks and weaves through the German countryside. Automakers from around the globe bring their best machinery to the track for extensive testing and evaluation, and among production sports cars, the title of the fastest around the ‘Ring has recently become a coveted one. Earlier this year, a GM engineer launched the 2009 Corvette ZR1 to a record winning 7 minutes, 26 seconds—a time that held the top spot for at least two months.

While being a record holder at Nürburgring is handy for the minions in marketing, it also proves that this car has the stuff to knock off truly world-class competition. Porsches, Ferraris and Lamborghinis had run the same pavement the ZR1 did, but none could do it faster.

Will every house in America have a ZR1 in the driveway? Absolutely not. With a price tag at a smidge over $100,000, this isn’t a vehicle for the masses. Still, the technology that made this car king will find its way into future GM products eventually.

2. 2008 Dodge Viper ACR SRT10The Dodge Viper has always been somewhat of an odd ball in the Chrysler family. Coming from the same corporation that’s responsible for the minivan and Dodge Ram pickup, the Viper and its massive V-10 never quite seemed to belong. Mere days after Chrysler announced that it was looking into the sale of the Viper mark, a factory-prepared ACR SRT10 took the Nürburgring title from the ZR1.

To be clear, this isn’t a vehicle you could drive to work every day, even if you could afford to feed that massive motor up front. Complete with aerodynamic tweaks on every level, an abundance of weight reduction and more raw power than should be possible; it’s a street legal track car and not much else. Still, when the smallest of the Big Three can build a car to beat German manufacturers at their own game, it’s impressive. It shows that American engineers are capable of building a product just as capable as any other.

If you take a look at the dealer options for vehicles, they can seem pretty pricey and the question arises, can I get a better deal aftermarket? Each option holds a different answer to that question. Read on to learn how choosing the right options at the dealer can save you a bundle of money.